Canadian Communists plan for growth and fightback

By Scott Marshall, People's Weekly World, 17 June 1995,
p. 14

TORONTO In his
keynote address Miguel
Figueroa, reelected leader of
the Communist Party of Canada
(CPC), stressed the turning
point nature of their 31st Central
Convention. He detailed the
vicious corporate attack on
working people in general and
the particular legal attack on
the Communist Party in national
elections laws passed last
year.

He outlined the Party's
progress in helping to "unite
the fighttback" against a "most
aggressive and fundamental attack
on the working class and
trade union movement in Canada.
We've had a lively, sharp
and comradely debate in pre-convention
discussion and have
regrouped, rebuilt and even established
the Party in new areas
since our last convention," said
Figueroa. He hailed international
efforts to rebuild and
strengthen world communist
unity and solidarity.

The convention debated
and adopted a resolution on the
main domestic and internarional
issues facing the people of
Canada. One highlight of the
discussion was on the issue of
Quebec. The CPC demanded a
constituent assembly to draft a
new democratic constltution for
Canada that will feature full
recognition and respect for Quebec
and it's rights. A new constitution
would also recognize the
full equality and rights of Canada's
native peoples.

Much stress was placed on
the need for unity of the Quebec
working class and people with
the working class and people of
the rest of Canada against the
corporate offensive. It was noted
that U.S rransnational corporations
can wreck even greater
havoc on the economy and
working class with a divided
Canada.

Much attention was also
given to the fight to revitalize
the left in the trade union movement
and rebuilding the Communist
Party's presence in labor.

Partlcular attention was given
to the need for political independence
in light of some of the
compromising policies of the
New Democratic Party on labor
and people's issues.

Delegates discussed a wide
range of issues that need to be
part of a militant fightback program
for labot, including the
fight against privatization, for
shorter hours, for public ownership,
the fight for jobs and the
guarantee of basic labor rights in
a new Canadian Constitution.

The convention took great
pride in the Party's accomplishment
in reeestablishing the Communist
press in Canada, People's
Voice Editor Kimball Cariou reported
on the growth of the press
and its important function
as a tool for building the Party and
the left. It has grown from a 16
page to a 2O page paper at a time
when "no other force on the left
in Canada has launched a new
socialist publication."

The Congress received fraternal
greetings from many
Communist and workers parties
around the world. Fraternal delegates
from Mexico, Cuba,
Greece, Chile, India and the U.S.
read messages of solidarity and
spoke about the latest developments
in their countries. The
convention reconfirmed the Party's
working class internationalism
and its support for rebuilding
the Communist movement
around the world. Special attention
was given to solidarity
against U.S. imperialism's continued
illegal blockade of Cuba.

Noting new and more favorable
conditions for building the
CPC, delegates adjourned confident
in becoming a larger Communist
Party and winning the
Canadian people to peace
progress and socialism.